Summary

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions and general information
about pet (African Pigmy) hedgehogs. Should be helpful to both
prospective and current hedgehog owners.
Part V - understanding hedgehogs, and hedgehog health care

This document is copyright 2015 by Brian MacNamara. See section [0.6]
for authorship information and redistribution rights. In short, you
can give it away, but you can't charge for it.

The basic Hedgehog FAQ has seven parts, all of which should be available
from wherever you obtained this one. A complete table of contents for
all seven parts is given below.

Please note: While my knowledge of hedgehogs has grown (far beyond my
wildest expectations when I began the FAQ), my knowledge is still quite
limited, especially in areas of health care. I did not write, or verify,
all the information in this FAQ. I have done my best to include only
accurate and useful information, but I cannot guarantee the correctness
of what is contained in this FAQ, regardless of the source, or even that
it will not be harmful to you or your hedgehog in some way. For advice
from an expert, I recommend you consult the books listed in part 2 [2.1],
or, especially in the case of a suspected medical problem, a veterinarian
who is familiar with hedgehogs.

Getting your hedgehog to become familiar with you takes a lot of patience,
but it is worth it. If your hedgehog tends to be somewhat shy or unfriendly
towards you, try spending more time holding him -- chances are he just
doesn't associate your smell with being a friend, yet. For more information
on getting your hedgie used to you, see section [4.6].

One of the most common signs of a hedgehog being too cold (semi-hibernation),
is being very unsteady on its feet. Wobbly hedgehogs, or ones showing signs
of problems in their hindquarters are almost always due to being too cold.
There are some other causes for this type of symptom, as well (see [9.5] on
Wobbly Hedgehogs), but of the cases I've heard of over 99% are from being
cold.

Another sign that a hedgehog that is too cool is its going off its food. If
your hedgehog isn't eating, and is walking a bit funny, it may be because he
is a bit cool.

The first thing to do is to check to see if the animal is warm enough.
Feel its legs and belly. If these feel chilled the animal needs to be
immediately warmed up. A chilled hedgehog will walk as if it is drunk.
A variety of methods can be used to warm them. The one that I use is
to put the animal in the cut off sleeve of a sweatshirt. I then put
it in a box (I actually have an 8 litre cooler that I use) with a jar
of hot water. Close the lid of the box (or put the lid on loosely to
allow for air in the cooler). They usually warm up in about an hour
or so. When I put the animal back in its own cage, I make sure I give
it a sleeve to keep warm in. Some animals are more prone to chills
than others.
-- Linda Wheatley

In general, the likelihood of hibernation happening is quite low, so if your
hedgehog isn't making its home in the refrigerator, and you don't like living
in subarctic conditions indoors, you probably shouldn't worry. That having
been said, I have heard of several instances of it happening (briefly, and
all fully recovered when warmed up), so some caution is worthwhile.

Recently, another cause of hibernation, or more commonly, partial hibernation
has shown up. It appears that hedgehogs are quite sensitive to the short
daylight hours, or even low light, as can happen during the winter months.
If your hedgehog is warm enough, but still shows indications of wanting to
hibernate, try leaving a light on to extend the `length of the day' for him.
I've seen this help with my own hedgehogs, and my thanks to both Dawn Wrobel
and Sharon Massena for bringing it to my attention.

Beyond even the light issue, it appears that some `lines' of pet hedgehogs
may be more prone to hibernation, or rather trying to hibernate than others.
In some cases, you may need to be very diligent to ensure your little friend
doesn't drift off into a one-way winter's nap on you. Details on this,
assumed, genetic link are very sketchy as yet.

Also a worry is the chance of pet hedgehogs going into aestivation. This is
similar to hibernation, but is done when things get too warm. In their
natural habitat, this is to let the hedgehog wait things out until cooler
and/or damper weather returns. Pet hedgehogs can slip into this state,
especially in light of heatwaves in recent years in North America. The
problems and side effects of aestivation are largely the same as for
hibernation.

As I pointed out in [2.1], Pat Storer's books discuss blood chemistry and
what kinds and doses of various medicines have been used successfully to
treat hedgehogs. I strongly suggest you get a copy of one of these books, if
for no other reason than to bring with you to the veterinarian, in the case
of an emergency, so he or she knows what to expect and what to do about
problems.

Hedgehogs are susceptable to worms, fleas, mites, and other common pet
parasites. If you have other pets (especially indoor/outdoor ones), if you
give your hedgehog access to the outdoors (even supervised), or if you bring
in non-commercially grown earthworms, crickets, or other insects, you might
want to be especially concerned about parasites. Even taking precautions it
is still possible for your pet to get parasites.

Treatment of fleas is well described in the Flea and Tick FAQ [9.4], and most
safe (non-long-lasting) commercial flea treatments should work. It is always
wise to try a small amount on the rump first, and wait for a couple of hours
to see if there is any adverse reaction, before doing any serious treatment.
Also, do remember to avoid getting it into the eyes!

Far more of a problem than fleas, and worms, are mites, which are the most
common health problem that affects pet hedgehogs. Section [8.2] discusses
this in detail.

Almost all forms of parasites that a pet hedgehog is likely to encounter are
quite treatable, and a visit to the veterinarian will provide you with the
answers and medications to do so properly.

I would also like to add a quick reminder here to use wheels with solid
running surfaces and to pad the spokes to prevent injuries [5.6].

One other area of concern is obesity. Hedgehogs can easily become
overweight, partially due to their potential for hibernation [7.3], they can,
and will, pack on weight in preparation for a lengthy hibernation that never
comes. Letting them hibernate is NOT the answer -- a diet and exercise are.
If your hedgehog is getting too plump, just cut back on his food a bit, and
try to encourage activity by letting him run around, or by giving him a
wheel.

With respect to more severe medical problems, there are a number of serious
medical conditions that can appear in hedgehogs, though, thankfully, not that
frequently. These range from pneumonia, to Fatty Liver Disease, tumours and
cancers.

Pneumonia rarely happens on its own. Instead, it usually appears following
some sort of injury, or other medical problem, or due to extended or repeated
bouts of partial hibernation. If caught early, it can be treated by a
knowledgeable veterinarian -- most instances of pneumonia in hedgehogs are
bacterial, and hence respond well to antibiotics. Here are some of the signs
of pneumonia:

The warning signs for pneumonia are bubbles coming from the nose (this
can also signal an upper respiratory infection) and irregular raspy
breathing, lethargy and an unwillingness to eat (because they can't
smell?).
-- Dawn Wrobel

Hedgehogs are sometimes inclined to getting Fatty Liver Disease (FLD). While
all the reasons are not understood, there have been some suggestions that it
can be due to the type of diet, or in some cases the quantity, lack of
exercise, or even genetic. One of the best ways to help prevent FLD is to
provide a wheel or other regular exercise. The key signs to look for to tell
if your hedgehog may be a candidate for FLD are whether there are yellowish
fatty deposits showing, especially under the front armpits (legpits?). If
these are present, it doesn't mean your hedgie has FLD, but it does suggest
that something needs to be done quickly before it does progress to where the
liver is irrepairably harmed.

Unfortunately, hedgehogs are also prone to tumours and cancers, especially in
the 3-4 year old range. Whether this may be due in part to dietary factors,
or just because they rarely live to that age in the wild, and we are just
seeing the effects of bodily systems run amok, is not known.

About the best advice I can pass along is the suggestion that came from the
1997 ``Go Hog Wild'' Veterinary Seminar, where the doctors gave the advice to
have any tumours removed ASAP, as being the best possible course of action
available. Since that time, it has been found that treating hedgehogs who
have tumours or cancers with steroids can have a positive effect. In
addition, research into nutrition and related factors may soon help reduce
the number of tumour instances in hedgehogs.

With luck and further research, hopefully we will see tumours become a rarity
in the not too distant future.

Hedgehogs can also suffer from tumours and cancers of the mouth. These can
be much harder to see, unless on the outside, and require prompt veterinary
care, when detected.

Eyes. Moving further along, the eyes can suffer a number of problems, such
as things getting poked into them, or caught around the eyelid, injuries from
being struck by unpadded spokes on a whee, or even cataracts. A vet visit is
almost always in order. Don't fret if your hedgehog does lose his sight or
even an eye -- hedgies do just fine when blind. since their primary sense is
smell, and hearing is secondary, with vision a distant third.

Ears. Ears rarely show problems aside from tattered ears [8.3] which do not
seem to bother the hedgehog much.

Toes. Toes, and toenails do need regular exams. Toenails tend to curl
around and into the footpads if not trimmed [6.5], and toenails do tend to
get caught and tear causing possible infections. I have also heard of some
hedgehogs winding up with fungal problems on their feet, which need
specialized treatment.

Legs. Legs can get hurt in any number of ways. From toenails getting caught
and the leg being pulled, to the hedgehog taking a tumble. Watch for
limping, or favouring a leg as a sign of an injury. Generally this involves
a vet visit to check for anything serious, but often there is little that can
be done except to let your hedgie heal (though removing the cause, if you can
find it, is strongly suggested).

Limping and favoring a leg can also be indicative of internal problems as
well. If you, or your vet does examine the hedgie and there is no sign of
actual injury, it might be prudent to check for internal problems, growths,
tumours, etc.

One other serious problem that affects limbs is getting hairs or threads
caught around them, cutting off circulation. Hedgehogs will go as far as to
chew off their foot in such cases. If there is a hair caught, get it off!
Use a razor blade, and if you do nick the hedgies leg in the process, don't
feel bad -- it's far better than the consequences of not getting rid of the
hair or thread. My thanks to Melanie A. Abell for reminding me of this
danger.

Genitals, etc. Hedgehogs, especially males, have an unfortunate tendency to
get things caught in rather sensitive places (imagine yourself squirming,
naked, through bedding like your hedgehog does). Things such as bits of
litter (clay, corncob, etc.) can easily become caught in the penile sheath,
which can cause serious inflammation and infection, along with a host of
other problems. Females are not exempt from this type of problem, either,
though the incidence is much lower. A daily inspection is strongly
recommended to avoid a minor irritation becoming something very serious.

Quills and skin. Aside from mites [8.2], few problems affect either the
quills or the skin. Hedgehogs can get fungal infections such as ringworm,
but these are fairly rare. Veterinary diagnosis and treatment will take care
of fungus problems. Hedgehogs do also occasionally get cysts. These are
easily treated by a veterinarian.

Internal problems. Hedgehogs are prone to a myriad of possible internal
problems, especially things such as bowel obstructions. Keep an eye on your
hedgies' eating habits, and on their droppings [9.2]. Major changes in
dropping can indicate all sorts of possible problems. Just about any such
problem is something for a vet to deal with, rather than yourself.

Internal infections of various sorts often show up in the form of green
droppings [9.2]. A slight greenish tinge to the droppings is not a worry --
in the case of problems, we are talking about bright, forest green!

The other large scope of internal problems are from tumours, which are quite
prevalent in hedgehogs. There isn't much you can do about detecting these,
except to get your little friend to the veterinarian ASAP if there is an
unexplained problem, or an obvious lump.

Another problem which occurs in female hedgehogs are mammary tumours. Again,
if caught early enough, these can be surgically removed by a veterinarian.
Fortunately, this isn't a common problem, but it is a life threatening one if
and when it does occur.

Hedgehogs can also suffer from such unpleasant ailments as prolapsed bowels,
and in females prolapsed uterus. These problems can be treated by a
veterinarian, if you get your little friend to help quickly.

Blood in urine or feces. This is somewhat of a special case of internal
problems. Blood spots in either urine or feces can be from an incredibly
wide range of causes, and can be either a one-time thing (say, from
constipation), or can be very serious. Any time it happens repeatedly,
it bears a vet visit ASAP. Many cases will stem from bladder infections
or similar ailments, which will usually respond very well to treatment
with antibiotics.

One situtation (focused on female hedgies for obvious reasons) is from
tumorous growths in the uterus. The following information from Paul Ritchey,
covers this in detail and also shows that tumours can be overcome in hedgies!

SYMPTOMS: Few blood dots in litter pan first day. Everything else
remained normal throughout the whole ordeal (eating, activity, attitude,
etc.). Blood dots were only symptom. During a brief tabletop exam by
me to see if she had hurt herself, she did both of her `duties' - blood
evident. During the next few days in dealing with local vets, talking
to Vera, etc., blood loss increased at an alarming rate. Few dots
turned into ever increasingly larger blood spots.

DIAGNOSIS: Cancerous growth in the uterus. Growth was removed and
Ariel is now happy and healthy once again. In my conversations with
Dr. Goodman it was noted that with such small critters it's possible
for abnormal growths NOT to show up in x-rays or sonograms.
-- Paul Ritchey

In addition, Paul did stress the need to act quickly, as the type of tumours
that occur in this kind of situation are very agressive, and delays in
finding and fixing the cause can let things get beyond the point recovery
withing a matter of a couple of days.

Probably the very best way to avoid problems is to thoroughly examine your
hedgehog daily. This will help you note changes in habit or health quickly,
and help keep little problems from becoming bigger ones.

This is often the sign of either a sick, depressed, or especially a chilled
[7.3] hedgehog. Assuming your hedgehog is warm enough, and there is no
likelihood of unusual stress (which can also put a hedgehog off eating), you
may want to have a vet check for sickness, but clearly the thing that's
needed is to get your pet back on its dinner. About the only suggestion I
can offer is to attempt out-and-out bribery; offer your hedgehog his favorite
treats, and try some cooked chicken or turkey. If possible, make sure he is
drinking, and if necessary resort to using some thinned chicken broth, or
even something with electolytes (see below). Other suggestions for bribery
snacks are chopped hardboiled egg, cottage cheese, and mealworms.

Here are a few words of wisdom from Linda Wheatly on getting a hedgehog
to eat:

If the animal is warm, but not eating, first try varying its diet.
I will often try raw meat [please note that there are dangers to using
raw meat as outlined in section [6.2] -- ed.], which often works. I
recently discovered an appetite ``picker upper'' which hasn't failed yet.
I raise mice also, and will give the poor-eating hedgehogs dead pinky
mice. Hedgehogs will also eat the bigger mice. If all else fails, and
the animal refuses to eat anything, they can be force-fed. I beat an
egg [there can also be dangers with using raw egg, as outlined in section
[6.2] -- ed.], add a little bit of milk and a tablespoon of corn syrup.
I take a 1 cc syringe and gently work it into the side of the hedgehog's
mouth and slowly feed the mixture in. I generally feed 3 cc's four times
per day. If the animal is looking dehydrated, I may give it 1 or 2 cc's
of water with each feeding. You may have to do this for 4 or 5 days.
They will start eating again on their own. They will often show you
that they are wanting to eat by themselves by really fighting you
when you try to force feed them.

Related to this is the problem of not drinking, or not drinking enough,
resulting in dehydration. If water is available and accessible, this is
usually not a problem, but if for one reason or another this does occur, it
is important to get fluids into the hedgehog as quickly as reasonably
possible. This might involve a vet visit and intravenous or similar fluid
replacement. In less dire cases, you can use electrolyte enhanced drinks,
such as many of the sport drinks now available, or better yet, Pedalyte, a
form intended for children, which is quite a bit `safer' for sensitive
digestive systems. Because of the cost, and quantity, this is not always an
economical choice, however, as suggested by Sheri, you can get it in a
powdered form under the brand name Kaopectalyte.

Remember, given a hedgehog's small size, not eating or drinking can become
deadly in very short order. If the situation persists for more than a couple
of days, consider taking your little friend to a vet.

(that is, ftp to rtfm.mit.edu and get the indicated file) or by sending
email to mail-serverrtfm.mit.edu with the line

send usenet/news.answers/fleas-ticks

in the body of the message (with an empty subject line).

In general, most products which are safe for use on kittens and puppies are
likely safe for hedgehogs (though avoid those products listed as long
lasting). Keeping in mind that bathing baby or young hedgehogs can be
dangerous and should be avoided if possible [6.5]. It is better to spray on
such products.

Provided that you are absolutely, positively, unquestionably certain (and
that you go check 3 more times) that your hedgehog is not suffering from
signs of semi-hibernation or semi-aestivation, there are a couple of other
things that can cause this kind of behavior.

While there are many conditions that can result in some degree of wobbliness
(beyond the normal waddling gait of a hedgehog), the term ``Wobbly Hedgehog
Syndrome'' has come to be applied to what is now considered to be a
neurological disorder. The one thing that is certain about this condition
is that nothing is really certain. Please keep this in mind while reading
what follows.

The problem generally appears as a progressive paralysis, usually starting
at the tail end of the spine and working its way toward the nose. The rate
of progression can vary greatly, sometimes taking only weeks, other times
spanning a year or longer. It usually appears in adults over a year old,
but it can occur in even very young hedgehogs.

The cause of this problem is very likely genetic, probably in some ways due
to the very small, and shrinking gene pool from which our little friends are
bred from.

This problem can be very hard to diagnose, and generally will only be known
with any certainty after a detailed necropsy.

Other, possibly more common causes of wobbling or paralysis can stem from
strokes, injuries, or tumors. In the case of injuries, treatment
(assuming you or your vet can determine that an injury occurred) will
depend on just what kind of injury it was. For strokes, which do happen to
hedgehogs, there will often be improvement over time. For tumors, surgery
or steroids may help.

One other factor that may be responsible for some types of wobbly hedgehogs,
especially in cases where multiple unrelated hedgehogs are affected, is from
some sort of dietary deficiency. Exactly what is lacking, or in excess, is
not known. This particular form of wobbly hedgehog syndrome seems to only
affect hedgehogs which are raised on cat food, and generally unsupplemented
with vitamins, as opposed to one of the better foods now on the market.
Hedgehogs which have had supplements, or which eat a good, balanced hedgehog
food do not appear to show any signs of this problem. As yet, there is no
scientific answer as to why, but a change in diet might be worth trying.

Again, I would stress that over 99.9% of cases of wobbly hedgehogs are from
hedgehogs showing signs of hibernation, or aestivation. Before you start
worrying about any other causes, be very, very sure that this is not what
is affecting your little friend -- especially if it's the late autumn, or
the temperature has suddenly dipped, or mid-summer and the temperature has
gone way up.